Rabbit Legs With Peas Collards And Country Ham Recipes

RABBIT LEGS WITH PEAS, COLLARDS AND COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Place peas in a nonreactive bowl and allow to soak overnight in refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Season rabbit legs with salt. Place large braising pan or casserole over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the rabbit and brown it on all sides, approximately 10 minutes.
• Transfer rabbit to a warm platter. Deglaze pan with wine, reduce to syrup, then add carrots, white onions, celery and bay leaf to pan. Sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Return rabbit to the pan on top of the vegetables, and add water almost to cover legs. Cover pan and braise in oven for 1½ to 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare peas and collards.
• Fill a heavy-bottomed 3-quart stock pot with water and simmer over medium-high heat. Drain peas and add to pot. Return liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, partly cover pot and simmer gently until peas are tender, stirring occasionally, about one hour. Place aside.
• In a wide sauté pan set over medium heat, sweat garlic and collards with a splash of water until greens are soft. Remove from pan and reserve.
• Remove braising pan from oven. Legs should be soft, almost falling off the bone. Transfer to a warm platter and keep covered. Strain braising liquid and reserve in a smaller pot.
• Put another pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining oil. When it shimmers, add sliced Spanish onions and cook until soft. Add 1 cup or more of braising liquid, then rabbit legs, and heat through.
• Wipe the collards pan clean and set over medium-high heat. Add peas, collards and diced ham. Add a splash of braising liquid and cook until it evaporates. Transfer collards and peas to a warmed serving pan.
• Remove legs from pan and place on top of collards. Add mustard and lemon juice to remaining sauce. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Whisk butter into pan. Pour pan sauce over rabbit legs and garnish with chopped parsley.

BLACK-EYED PEAS WITH HAM HOCK AND COLLARDS

Steps:

• Drain peas and put them in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add ham hock or bone (if using slab bacon, cut it into 2-inch chunks), cover with 10 cups water and turn heat to high. Add salt, onion stuck with cloves, bay leaf, black pepper and allspice.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Skim off and discard any foam that rises to the surface. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until peas are tender. Throughout cooking, add water as necessary, always keeping liquid level 1 inch above surface, stirring with wooden spoon occasionally. Turn off heat. Check broth for salt and adjust seasoning. Mixture should be fairly brothy. With a pair of tongs, remove ham hock, ham bone or bacon. Chop meat and skin in rough pieces and set aside.
• Put a large wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and heat until wavy. Add garlic and red pepper and let sizzle without browning. Add collard greens and stir to coat. Season with salt and add 1 cup water, stirring to help wilt greens. Add chopped ham and reduce heat to medium, then cover with lid slightly ajar and cook until greens are soft, about 20 minutes. Check seasoning.
• To serve, put greens and meat in low soup bowls, then ladle over hot black-eyed peas. Sprinkle with scallions.

BLACK-EYED PEAS WITH COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Place the black-eyed peas in a large saucepan, cover with water by two inches, bring to a boil and then drain. Combine with half the onion and one of the garlic cloves in the saucepan. Add water to cover by two inches, and bring back to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, and reduce the heat. Add salt to taste, cover and simmer 30 minutes, until the beans are just tender. Drain through a strainer set over a bowl.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large, ovenproof lidded skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat and add the remaining onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes, and add the remaining garlic. Stir together for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. A handful at a time, stir in the greens. As the greens wilt, stir in another handful, until all the greens have been added and have collapsed in the pan. Add the dissolved tomato paste and stir together. Add salt to taste. Add the beans and enough cooking liquid to barely cover everything, cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes, until the collards are tender and the beans very soft.
• Uncover the pot, and add a bit of liquid if the beans are dry. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the dill, cover and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm or hot. If you wish, top with crumbled feta or a squeeze of lemon.

RABBIT EGS WITH PEAS, COLLARDS AND COUTRY HAM

Steps:

• 1. Place peas in a nonreactive bowl and allow to soak overnight in refrigerator. 2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 3. Season rabbit legs with salt. Place large braising pan or casserole over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the rabbit and brown it on all sides, approx. 10 min. 4. Transfer rabbit to a warm platter. Deglaze pan with wine, reduce to syrup, then add carrots, white onions, celery and bay leaf to pan. Saute' until softened and lightly browned, about 10 min. Return rabbit to the pan on top of the vegetables, and add water almost to cover legs. Cover pan and braise in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare peas and collards. 5. Fill a heavy-bottomed 3-quart stock pot with water and simmer over medium-high heat. Drain peas and add to pot. Return liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, partly cover pot and simmer gently until peas are tender, stirring occasionally, about one hour. Place aside. 6. In a wide saute' pan set over medium heat, sweat garlic and collards with a splash of water until greens are soft. Remove from pan and reserve. 7. Remove braising pan from oven. Legs should be soft, almost falling off the bone. Transfer to a warm platter and keep covered. Strain braising liquid and reserve in a smaller pot. 8. Put another pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining oil. When it shimmers, add sliced Spanish onions and cook until soft. Add 1 cup or more of braising liquid, then rabbit legs and heat through. 9. Wipe the collards pan clean and set over medium-high heat. Add peas, collards and diced ham. Add a splash of braising liquid and cook until it evaporates. Transfer collards and peas to a warmed serving pan. 10. Remove legs from pan and place on top of collards. Add mustard and lemon juice to remaining sauce. Taste and add more slat if necessary. Whisk butter into pan. Pour pan sauce over rabbit legs and garnish with chopped parsley.

BRAISED RABBIT LEGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat the rabbit legs dry, and season with salt and pepper. Place a large Dutch oven over high heat, and heat oil until shimmering. Sear the rabbit legs until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the shallots to the pan, and sauté until tender but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cornichons, brine and vinegar, raise heat and bring to a simmer. Return the rabbit legs to the pan with any accumulated juices. Add enough chicken stock to come to within about 1/2 inch of covering the legs. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
• Cover the pan and bake until the rabbit meat is tender and the leg joint bends easily, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer legs to a plate and keep warm. Skim cornichons and shallots from the sauce and set aside. Return pan to medium-high heat, and boil until sauce is reduced by about half. Whisk in butter a piece at a time, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Return rabbit, cornichons and shallots to the pan until just reheated. Stir in parsley. To serve, place 2 legs on each plate, and top with some shallots, cornichons and sauce.